PCC Donna Jones welcomes the Non-Crime Hate Incidents Draft Code of Practice

The Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has given her support to draft guidelines which would see police prioritising freedom of speech over taking offence in non-crime hate incidents.

In a release issued by the Home Office, under the plans police will only record so-called non-crime hate incidents when it is “absolutely necessary and proportionate” and not “simply because someone is offended”.

The Home Office goes on to say the focus of the police “must remain on catching dangerous criminals and bringing them to justice.”

Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “The government have become concerned about the number of non-crime hate incidents being recorded with police forces across the UK.

“The clue is in the title, ‘non-hate crime’, and so the Home Office have issued clearer guidance to police forces, to ensure that incidents are not being recorded incorrectly and therefore people’s public data being held on police systems without any cause.

“These incidents are not crimes, and as per the definition, the police should not be spending valuable time recording incidents.

“If anyone is the subject of a hate crime, these will be recorded and dealt with appropriately, the clear distinction here is non-hate crimes incidents.”